


Always

by shiptoomuch



Series: 30 McKirk AUs [23]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Acting, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, growing up together!, woop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-06
Updated: 2013-12-06
Packaged: 2018-01-03 15:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1072083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiptoomuch/pseuds/shiptoomuch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Jim and Bones grow up together, grow apart, then come back again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old thing I found whilst going through files.  
> Hope you enjoy!

\---  
“Jim! Come inside, honey!” Jim’s mom stuck her head out of the door and called to her son where he played with his best friend in the back yard. “Dinner!”

Jim looked up and grinned, beckoning to his friend and running inside. The brown haired boy stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants, straightening his shirt before walking behind Jim.

“Come on, Bones!” The blue eyed boy shouted and waved him over.  
Jim’s mother smiled down at her son and patted his shoulder. “What were you boys playing out there?”

“Star Trek, Mom! I was Captain Pine and he was Doctor Urban and we were on a mission on Ni-”

“Sorry I took so long, Mrs. Kirk.”

“Oh it’s fine, Leonard.” She ruffled his hair, much to his indignation. “Come on, boys, I made mac ‘n’ cheese.”

The boys cheered and clapped, turning to follow her to the kitchen. Jim grabbed Leo’s hand suddenly, causing him to stop. “Are we going to be friends forever?”

Leo smiled and squeezed Jim’s hand before pulling him down the hall to the kitchen. “Always.”

\------

“Hi Jim.” Leo walked up to his best friend after school. “How was practice?”

Jim grinned and scrubbed a hand across his face. “It was great. I’m exhausted. How’d your audition go?”

Leo sighed. “I think it went well, but I don’t know. I don’t want to be too confident and then have my hopes crushed. I mean, we’re only in sixth gra-”

Jim silenced his slightly neurotic friend by grabbing his shoulders and shaking him roughly. He laughed and rolled his eyes at Leo’s bemused expression. 

“I’m sure you were magnificent. No doubt in my mind that you got the part. Anyway, I have a game on Wednesday, and if you don’t come...I will personally burn your favorite shirt.”

Leo gasped, eyes wide. “You wouldn’t.”  
“You know I would.”

“Yeah, you would. Fine, I’ll go. Come on, your mom said she’s making pork chops for dinner.” Leo grabbed Jim by the backpack and pulled him down the hallway towards the middle school doors.

“You have no idea how weird it is that you actually talk to my mom. Seriously, it’s like you’re friends or something.” Jim shook Leo off and gave him a weird look.

Leo sighed and punched his best friend in the arm. “It’s not my fault you take forever to get ready in the morning and I always end up waiting for you. Anyway, your mom is nice. Nicer than you most days.”

Jim responded by punching Leo in the gut, which of course resulted in both of the boys attacking each other. Jim’s mom pulled up and honked the horn, waving at the eleven year olds. Jim looked up from where he had Leo in a headlock and stuck his tongue out. He let go of the black haired boy, causing his unsuspecting friend to fall on his back.

“Not. Cool.” Leo grabbed Jim’s hand and let the boy help him up.

“Sorry.” 

“It’s cool.”

“Forgive me?”

“Always.”

\-----

The boys sat on the couch in front of the TV. They were celebrating the fact that Leo got the role. Their celebration comprised of pizza, ice cream, and horror movies.

Jim kept up a constant stream of ‘no’ under his breath as the woman on the screen walked through the woods to an abandoned shack. He jumped as the masked killer popped out of nowhere and began attacking the woman. He found himself clinging to Leo’s skinny frame.

“You’re such a baby.”

Jim didn’t respond, merely whimpering as the gory scene played out onscreen. He shivered and scooted closer to his best friend. He tucked his head in Leo’s shoulder when he got scared again, Leo remaining cool and collected. But Jim knew he was scared. He could feel his heartbeat picking up exponentially.

Jim started to notice Leo growing increasingly uncomfortable and it was starting to get on his nerves. He kicked the other boy’s shoe off the coffee table.

“Nice. Really nice.”

Jim paused the muted the TV and straightened up. “What’s wrong?”  
Leo gave him a sideways glance and shrugged, smiling that infuriating smile that made his upper lip disappear and his eyebrows shoot up.

Jim shoved his shoulder. “Come on. I know you. Something is wrong.”

“Nobody knows me better than you, Jim.” Leo smiled at his friend nervously. “I just...I don’t want you to hate me.”

“I could nev-”

“No. You don’t understand. Jim, I.....I like boys.” Leo stared at his lap and picked at a loose string on his sweater.

As the silence stretched on, Leo became more and more uncertain. He started to stand up to leave when he felt a hand on his wrist.

“You thought I’d hate you for that? I...Bones...No. I could never, ever hate you. 

Especially for something as small as that.” Jim smiled softly and pulled Leo back down onto the couch. 

“Small? Jim, most people would think it’s a pretty big deal.”

“No. I don’t care who you like. I’m here for you, no matter what, Leonard McCoy. You’re not getting rid of me.” Jim leaned forward and pressed his lips to Leo’s for a few seconds before pulling away and smiling. He leaned forward and turned the volume back up on the TV.

Leo’s mouth hung open in shock. He stared at his best friend for a few moments before smiling and turning back to the movie.

“You honestly still want to be my friend even though I’m...the way I am?”

“Always.”

\----

“I’m moving.” Leo stood on Jim’s doorstep, drenched in rain.

“What?” Jim felt a pounding in his ears.

Leo sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I’m moving.”

Jim’s head was spinning. There was no way Leo had actually said what he thought he said. “No you’re not.”

“Can I come inside? I’m quite wet.” Leo pushed past Jim into the warm house and began stripping off his sweatshirt. He looked back at his friend who was still standing in the doorway. He felt tears pricking at the back of his eyes as he thought about why he had come over in the middle of the night during a rainstorm. 

“You’re really moving, aren’t you? Where?”

“Pittsburgh.” Leo lost it at that word and started crying, his shoulders shook with sobs as he stood in the hall. Jim rushed towards the crying boy and wrapped his arms around him. He started crying silently, trying to keep it together for his best friend in the whole   
world.

Jim’s mom heard the door shut and came downstairs to find her son clinging to his friend in the front hallway, both of them crying. She walked over and placed a gentle hand on Jim’s shoulder, making him jump and pull away. He looked up at his mother with shining eyes, silently asking her to fix this.

“Honey, why don’t you and Leo go to your room so he can get some dry clothes on.” She pushed both of the boys in the direction of the stairs, “Go on. Bring the wet clothes down, I’ll put them in the dryer. Leo, I’ll call your mother and tell her you’re staying the night.”

Jim shrugged weakly and began trudging up the stairs, Leo in tow. The boys didn’t speak when they reached his room. Jim just went to his closet and grabbed a pair of blue sweatpants and a soft grey t-shirt. He handed them to the dark haired boy and walked out of the room. He found himself locked in the bathroom, staring into the mirror and sobbing heavily. He gasped for breath, but it felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest. He heard banging on the door but he ignored it, allowing his gasping breaths and sobs to block out the pounding.

Suddenly, the door opened and Leo was crouched in front of it, clutching a pocketknife. “I knew I never should’ve taught you how to pick locks.”

Leo was now dressed in dry clothes. Jim’s pants were a tad too short on him, so he had to wear them slung low on his hips. He walked over to the crying boy and wrapped his arms around him, swaying gently from side to side while murmuring comfortingly in his ear. They stood there for about ten minutes before he felt his friend yawn against his shoulder.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Leo pulled Jim down the hall to his bedroom. He pushed Jim softly down on the bed and tucking him in before moving to sleep on the floor like he had planned.

“No. C’mere.” Jim lifted the blankets and beckoned to Leo, who hesitated before crawling into the bed next to Jim and wrapping his arms around him. “Are we going to be okay, Bones?”

“Always.”

\------

Leo cried for two weeks straight after they moved away. He dwelt on his last conversation with Jim, playing it over and over again in his mind.  
~~~~

“I guess this is it.” Leo slammed the trunk shut and turned to face Jim, whose face was screwed up with the effort of trying to hold in his tears.

“Please don’t go.” His words came out barely more than a whisper. His impossibly blue eyes met Leo’s for the first time in a week, nearly taking his breath away.

“I wish I could stay, you have no idea how much I wish I could stay.” He wrapped his arms around Jim.

“Please...just. Just don’t say goodbye. I can’t stand saying goodbye.”

“Why would I say that? Goodbye is for endings. This isn’t the end, Jimmy. We’ll write each other, keep in touch. You’ll get sick of me with how much we’ll talk.” Leo hooked a finger under Jim’s chin. “Don’t cry. This isn’t the end.”

“Leonard! It’s time to go! Say goodbye to Jim. You can call him as soon as we get to the new house.” Leo’s mother called up to her son.

Jim surged forward, capturing Leo’s mouth with his own. He was shocked, to say the least. Their last, and only, kiss had been more than a year ago, and they had never even talked about it, neither had felt the need to. Their mouths moved against each other for what seemed like both an eternity and not long enough. Leo finally pulled away and spared Jim one last lingering look before walking away for good.  
~~~~~~~

Of course, Leo had seen Jim follow their car down the block before it turned out of eyeshot. 

Leo had cried the entire drive cross country to Pittsburgh, he had cried when they saw their new house, and he realized that they would never see their home in California ever again. That he might never see Jim again.

But he would. He swore that he would see Jim again, if it was the last thing he did.  
He sat down at his new desk in his new room in his new house in this new city...and he began writing.  
\-------

Hey Jimbo,  
I hate this place. I really hate it. It’s so cloudy.  
I start school in a few weeks. I know I’m going to hate it. I wish I was there with you. I mean, this is eighth grade. It’s a big deal, man! I know you’re going to have a great year. You already made the football team, and you’re going to be so amazing. Do me a favor, don’t let anyone forget me.  
Sorry this letter isn’t any longer. I just needed to write you.  
Your friend,  
Leo  
\---------------  
Bones,  
So, I know I didn’t tell you anything about this, and you’re probably going to absolutely kill me for it, but I got the lead in the fall play at school! Sorry I didn’t tell you about auditioning, I was just so caught up in being in high school finally...and I didn’t want to tell you and then not get a part. I don’t want you to be disappointed in me.  
Everything here is so crazy. Remember when we used to imagine what it was going to be like to be in high school together? Well, it’s nothing like that.  
For one, you’re not here.  
I know we said that we wouldn’t get too sappy...but I miss you like crazy, Bones.  
I have other friends, obviously. Chekov and Sulu actually started dating (finally). But it’s not the same without you here. I need my partner in crime.  
The homework is awful, sometimes I feel like I’m drowning in it. I know it only gets worse as you go on in high school, but it’s such a big change from middle school that sometimes I feel like it is impossible to do everything.  
I quit football. I don’t have time because of the play. I hated football, anyway.  
I am beginning to realize that I have gone in like, fourteen different directions with this note. Sorry.  
Anyway, the play we’re doing is “Our Town” which is awesome because that is like my favorite play...ever. We had to read it in English and it was awesome. Most people don’t get it...they say it’s boring. Do you think it’s a boring play?  
I really like my english class a lot.  
Your (best) friend,  
Jim  
\----------

Leo felt lonely sometimes. If he took the time to look at his life, he would realize that the only time he didn’t feel lonely was when he would read one of Jim’s letters. He would come home from a hard day at school and find one sitting on the coffee table...and it would be like his whole day turned around.

Leo had made friends with the theater kids but he didn’t feel like they really cared about him. Not like Jim cared.

Jim’s notes were either incredibly long or painfully short but each one contained the most random strings of thoughts and experiences occasionally punctuated by the rare “I miss you.” Those letters hurt the most. They made Leo yearn to run back to California and wrap his friend in the biggest hug.

Jim learned about Leo’s many insecurities through the letters he would send. Leo constantly felt bad about complaining so much. Jim didn’t deserve to have all of those problems heaped on him.

One day, Leo got a letter that left a weight like a lead ball in his stomach. Jim had a girlfriend, he had written a whole two pages about “Carol” and how he thought he might love her. He enclosed a picture of the two of them together.

Leo wanted to hate her. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to hate this girl. But he couldn’t. She looked so sweet with blonde hair that came down just past her shoulders, wearing a sundress with a pair of ratty black converse...and Jim looked so happy in that picture.

\------

Jim was laying down on his bed staring at the ceiling. He felt like he should be more freaked out...but he wasn’t. He thought that when this happened to people, they cried and screamed...but Jim was calm.

So he had kissed one of his good (male) friends at a party. So he had enjoyed it more than he probably should have. So he thought about Leo when it happened.

So what?

Jim figured out pretty quickly that he liked boys and girls. Well, he figured he just liked people in general. He had always figured that gender didn’t really matter to him and the events of the previous night pretty much confirmed that.

What scared him the most was the fact that he was thinking about Leo when it happened. It was almost like he was imagining that it was Leo he was kissing, not Gary.   
And now he couldn’t stop thinking about Leo.

So naturally he got up and walked to Gary’s house.

\------

Jim dated lots of people. Boys, girls, whatever. Jim also liked to write to Leo about every. single. one. of. them.

And Leo swore, Jim was in love with everyone. Jim always said that he was in love. He was always completely infatuated with whoever he was with. Leo certainly did not want to hear about it. Not even a little bit.

Leo didn’t know why, but every time Jim would call him crying about a breakup or something, it made him so angry, he contemplated getting on a plane and flying out there just to punch whoever made Jim cry in the face.

Leo settled down on the couch to watch old reruns of Doctor Who still thinking about Jim’s latest boyfriend, Spock. Leo knew him. Spock was nice enough, good grades, theater kid. A little uptight, but still. Leo should not be upset that Jim was dating him. He should not feel betrayed.

But he does. He feels so incredibly betrayed.

Leo’s mom walks into the room three hours later to find him crying on the couch.

\-------

Leo,   
I got it!   
I got into UC Berkeley! I can’t believe it.   
So, I’ve been dumped. Again. It would seem nobody can stand being with me for more than three weeks at a time. I wouldn’t mind it so much if I didn’t fall in love with them. I fall in love with everyone I meet.  
And I think I’ve come to the realization that I’ve never loved anyone at all.  
\----

Leo didn’t finish reading Jim’s letter. He had to stop.

Leo couldn’t breathe. He felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest.

He loved Jim. He was in love with Jim.

Jim, who he hadn’t seen in six years. Jim, his best friend.

Jim who didn’t love him.  
\----

Jim,  
I know we’ve always said we were going to go to Berkeley together. I know.  
But I can’t. I got a scholarship to NYU’s theater program and I’m going to take it.  
I know I got the scholarship to Berkeley but I need to go to NYU. It’s New York, that’s where theater is. I can’t just turn all that down to go to California with you.  
\---------

“Jim! How was crazy Barnett’s class?”

Jim turned around and grinned at his best friend. Nyota dashed up and slung an arm around him.

“Goodness. Don’t even talk about it. That man is absolutely insane. How he managed to get a position here, I will never know.” Jim laughed and looked at Nyota, her long black hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and she was wearing an white v neck and a pair of jeans with white converse. Her thick black framed glasses hid her deep brown eyes.

“Kirk. You’ve got that look again. Don’t even think about making a move.” Nyota shook her finger in Jim’s face.

“But Ny, my love for you is undying! I won’t give up until you agree to marry me!” Jim shouted, spreading his arms wide and spinning around before dropping to his knees. “Nyota Uhura, I love you! I want to travel the world with you!”

People passing by in the courtyard chuckled as they passed by. People had grown quite used to Jim’s antics in the past three years. If they hadn’t seen them, they had heard about them.

“Get up, loser. Your wish is coming true. We are going to travel the world together.” Nyota tugged on Jim’s arm, pulling him up. 

“What on Earth do you mean?” 

Nyota laughed and shook her head, pulling her sunglasses out of her bag. “My mother and your mother are friends and that weirds us out, remember?”  
Jim nodded and shrugged. He had always found it weird that their mothers had developed quite a bond.

“Well, they decided it would be good to send us to Paris. I think they still want us to fall in love, get married, and have me accompany you to awards shows during your great acting career.” Nyota grabbed Jim’s hand. “Come on! We’re going to Paris!”

Jim shook his head and sighed. His mother was pushing two things on him: Nyota and acting. Acting didn’t seem like that bad of a choice, he was actually considering it. But Nyota....she was like his sister. He had a crush on her when they first met but she turned him down and they had grown to be really close.

The only real friend he had.

“Alright. When do we leave?”  
\------

“Mr McCoy, would you mind coming up here for a moment?” Madame Florence called out to Leo as he was packing his books into his bag.

“Oui, Madame.” Leo threw his messenger bag over his shoulder and strode briskly to the front of the room. “Is there something you need help with?” Leo looked expectantly at his French professor.

Madame Florence continued to shuffle through the papers on her desk as she spoke, “As a professor at a reputable university such as this one, I have many great opportunities.”

Leo nodded and hummed in agreement even though he wasn’t quite sure where she was going with this.

“One of those opportunities is going to a conference every year and speaking.” She looked up at Leonard and smiled softly, “A conference that is held in Paris.”

Leo gasped and searched the face of the older woman for a sign that she was suggesting what he thought she might be. “Professor.”

“You work at a restaurant that is frequented by many of this university’s professors. Everyone tells me that my favorite student is always working.” She places her papers in her bag. “When I ask why, they say that you are saving up for a trip to Paris. I take a student to Paris every year with me to assist me.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“I would like to invite you to come to Paris with me as my student aide.”  
Leo smiles and nods frantically before leaving to get to the restaurant for his afternoon shift.

He stumbled through his shift in a deliriously happy daze. When his coworkers asked what was up with him, he merely began humming the music from ‘An American in Paris.’  
\------

“Paris! We are in Paris!” Nyota jumped up and down and began twirling in the airport, getting dizzy and stumbling, grabbing Jim’s arm. 

Jim laughed and grabbed his bags, heading to the door to meet the car that was waiting for them. He threw his and Nyota’s bags into the back of the car and opened the door for her. “After you, m’lady.”

Nyota curtsied and sat in the seat. Jim slid in next to her and scrubbed a hand across his face. “I haven’t been here since I was a little kid. It’s so strange to be back as an adult without my mom and brother.”

“Spoiled rotten, you are. Traveling the world as a child.” Nyota poked Jim’s bicep playfully.

“Like you didn’t do the same thing with your millionaire parents.” Jim stuck his tongue out at his best friend.

“Doesn’t mean you’re not a spoiled rich kid, babe.” She patted his arm and smirked at him.

“So, what are we doing first?”

“First, we’re going to the hotel and taking a nap. Then, I have to go meet up with an old friend from high school who is here for a conference thingy. You can do whatever you want except come with me.”

Jim looked out of the corner of his eye, “An old flame, perhaps? Is Nyota finally going to get laid?”

Nyota laughed sharply, throwing her head back. “No. God, no. Leonard is very very gay.” Her face lit up suddenly, “Oh my goodness! You and him would literally be perfect for each other. You have to go out with him!”

“I thought we agreed you would never set me up with anyone ever again. Remember that one math major?” Jim shuddered at the memories of all the blind dates Nicole had set him up on.

“This one is different! I just...I have this feeling that it’ll go really fucking well.”  
\-----

Leo was in heaven. He was sure of it. 

He had spent the previous day tailing Madame at the conference, but that morning she had waved him off, telling him to “experience the beauty of French culture.”

He was certainly enjoying it, too. He had spent all day wandering up and down the winding streets, eating crepes and doing stupid tourist things like visiting the Eiffel Tower.

He had met up with Nyota for a few hours and somehow had been coerced into a blind date. Whatever, a vacation fuck never hurt anyone.

\-----

“Right. So, tonight, don’t mess this up by being a stupid pretentious twat. Jim is a really really great guy and if you hurt him, I swear to God I will rip your balls off and feed them to you.” Nicole stood in Leo’s room, holding a few expensive ties. “Now, I think you should wear this tie, it really looks good with your skin tone, but any of these will look good on you.”

“Wait. Back up. What did you say his name was?” Leo felt bile rising up in his throat.

“Jim. Why?”

Leo began unbuttoning his shirt and shook his head. “No. I’m not going.”

Nyota grabbed his arm and shook him roughly. “Why the hell not?”

“I don’t date guys named Jim. You know this.”

“Seriously? You will literally sleep with any guy unless they’re named Jim.”

Leo shook his head, willing the tears away. “No. Ny, just no.”

“Fine, do you want to stay in and watch a movie with me tonight?”

“Sure.”  
\------  
Jim got stood up in Paris. Whoever that mystery boy was, he hoped he had a really fucking good reason. It had been nearly three years, but it still bugged him for some reason.

“Jim! Over here!” Chris groaned as the paparazzi followed him, shouting at him and clicking away while he jogged. He pulled his hood up over his head and picked up speed. He knew he should’ve never gotten into acting.  
\------

“Movie night!” Jocelyn was standing in Zach’s doorway, keys in hand. “Come on, we’re going out! Big Broadway star. You need a break.”

Zach sighed, knowing his energetic friend would never back down. He had met her during a show he did not long after graduating and had not been able to shake her yet. 

“All right, what are we seeing?”

“That new dumb action movie with the cars.” Jocelyn clapped and smiled.

“Why on earth would I want to see that?”

“There’s a really hot guy in it. Also, you love action movies, don’t even try to pretend that you don’t.”

 

Leo smiled and nodded. He did love hot guys. 

Action movies were questionable....

As Jocelyn drove to the theater, Leo’s mind wandered everywhere and nowhere. He thought about whether or not he needed bread, he thought about the four show weekend he had coming up. He thought about Paris. He thought about how he had stood up whoever that poor guy was.

“Get out of your brain, McCoy.” Leo was surprised to see that they had arrived at the theater.

The first few minutes of the movie were great. Beautiful scenery and awesome death scenes and car chases

Then the star came out.

Fucking Jim Kirk was in this movie. Of course he didn’t know before, he didn’t exactly watch previews for action movies.

Instead of leaving like he should’ve, he stayed through the whole movie, like a fucking masochist.

Oh, he was dancing. Oh, he was holding a gun and other stupid attractive stuff. Taking out a super villain. Yeah, make out with that actress, go right ahead.

By the end, he found himself very upset.

“He was so hot, right?”

“Let’s get drunk.”  
\-------

Leo had been in Hollywood for a while. He was shooting for some new drama and enjoying it. He had seen Jim at a few parties, but made sure that the other male didn’t see him. When he saw Nyota with Jim at one of these parties, he knew that he was definitely the guy he had stood up in Paris.

“Leo, I have an audition for a role that will change your life.” Leo’s agent, Deb, spoke excitedly as she approached the table in the small cafe. “They want you.”

“What’s the role?”

His agent bounced excitedly and reached into her bag for a pile of papers. “Here. Look.”

Leo picked up the papers and read through them, eyes going wide as he realized what the role was. He sputtered for a few minutes and looked up. “A drama with Christopher Pike directing? Seriously?”  
\-----

Leo had been coerced into auditioning for this role by his agent. He hadn’t really wanted to. The script was great and the role was far more serious than the action movie and romantic comedies than he normally did. It was daunting, to say the least.

He had stumbled through the first few auditions, and had been called back time and time again, much to his surprise.

This was it, though. The final audition with whoever it was that they were considering for the (male) love interest. The whole thing had been incredibly hush hush.  
He walked into the room with all the producers and Pike. They all smiled at him and shook his hand. “Don’t worry, the other guy’ll be in here soon.”

‘The other guy’ showed up sure enough. Jim nearly fainted when he walked in the room. Leonard McCoy was standing there in all his glory, holding a script in one hand with his mouth hanging open. “Jim Kirk I just can’t get away from you.”

Jim smiled and walked toward Leo, wrapping him into a tight hug.

“I have missed you so much, Bones. Fourteen years.”

Leo was stiff in his arms, but he relaxed after a second and rested his hands on his friend’s lower back, rubbing gentle circles. “Me too.”

Pike clapped and brought them out of their bubble. “That’s it! That is exactly the magnetic chemistry we need for this! How do you guys know each other?”

“Bones? I’ve known him since we were kids.”  
\------

Jim sat across from Leo, grinning. “I absolutely cannot believe you stood me up in Paris. I was seriously so bummed you have no idea.”

Leo rolled his eyes and picked at his roll. “Yeah well, what can I say? I was always scarred by what you did to me.”

“Drama queen. I suppose I deserved to have my heart broken by you, now we’re even.”

Leo felt a pang at Jim’s immediate forgiving and forgetting. After all that had happened, Jim was still the open hearted teenager who fell in love with everyone. “Jim, I don’t think I can do this. It’s..It’s too much.” Leo got up to leave, but was caught by Jim before he could get away. His bright blue eyes had turned dark and hard as he spoke to Leo.

“No. You are not leaving me again. You keep leaving and I can’t handle it if you do it again.” Jim shook his head. “You just...you can’t keep running.”

Leo shook him off. “I think I can. It’s worked pretty well for me so far.” He turned and walked out of the restaurant, breaking into a run when he got out. He ran until he finally reached his house, fumbling for the keys and bursting in.

He sat on his couch for about three hours before he heard the pounding on his door. He walked over and wrenched it open. 

Jim was standing there, soaked from the rainstorm that Leo hadn’t heard. He was holding up a playbill. It was a playbill from the first show Leo had ever done on Broadway. “I never forgot you. I never gave up. I wrote you all the time and you always ignored me. We’re going to be working together. You can’t ignore me anymore.” Chris leaned against the doorway.

“I don’t know what to do, Jim. I loved you for so long and you didn’t love me back and now we have to go back to being best friends and I still love you. You have no idea how much that hurts, Mister Heartthrob.” Leo wiped the few tears from his face and refuses to break completely.

Jim’s mouth fell open and he started laughing. Really laughing. Leo felt stupid and he tried to close the door but Jim stepped inside and his face was suddenly serious. “You don’t think I’ve loved you all this time? Bones, I’ve been so fucking scared for so long about how much I love you.” He took Leo’s hand in his own. “Really, Bones. You could’ve at least asked me.”

Leo felt his heart beat pick up as hazel met blue and suddenly they were both wearing matching grins. “Really? You love me?”

“Always, Bones. Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback appreciated!  
> Tumblr: fabtrek


End file.
